


Fireworks

by trenchcoatsandfreckles



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Keith loves Lance, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), Shiro tries to help, Unrequited, it doesn't work, what a surprise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-09 11:58:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12887397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trenchcoatsandfreckles/pseuds/trenchcoatsandfreckles
Summary: "Lance:Is it crazy to think that you may like boys too? You look like the sort of guy that likes boys, or maybe you’re just too friendly with everyone. Shiro says I should just ask you, but this isn’t the sort of thing you approach and ask, that’s not how love works, you need to think and study and plan."or:Keith writes letters to Lance to deal with his crush on him.





	Fireworks

Keith stared at the ceiling, laying in his bed in complete darkness, the only sound in his ears coming from his own hard breathing. Weeks had passed after his big realization and he was still trying to decide what to do with his crush. On one hand, he could ignore it and get with the next cute alien they came across. However, on the other more plausible hand, he could woo Lance with his subtle romance skills and get himself a space ranger partner. 

The more he thought about it, the more he fell in love with the idea (and Lance), he could picture them together already, him teaching Lance how to fight one on one with a sword, Lance teaching him how to be half as good as him at shooting. Keith comforting him whenever he was homesick and insecure, wrapping him up in his arms and reading to him in a soft voice to make him forget about his troubles. Alternatively, he could see himself trusting Lance with his instability and self-doubt. Despite keeping to himself all his life, there was something about Lance that made Keith want to barge into his room and confess his entire life story.

Keith sat up in his bed, abandoning the idea of sleeping for the night, he peeked outside his door, glancing at both sides as if he were to cross the road. He stepped outside and stared at Lance’s door blankly before shaking his head and making his way to Black’s hangar. He tried to keep his mind blank on the way there, trying to avoid thinking about a certain boy with gleaming blue eyes and a blinding smile, nevertheless, he failed miserably. 

“Shiro?” Whispered Keith as soon as he reached the door, it swooshed open to reveal his leader kneeling next to Black’s left paw, A white tool box sat next to him. He looked up, making eye contact with the red paladin, his face showed confusion, it shifted into condolement after a moment. The boy walked forwards and sat cross legged next to him.

“So…” He began.

“So… Are you gonna ask me if I think Lance likes boys again?” Shiro half-chuckled as he picked up a wrench from the box. Keith groaned and let his back hit the floor.

“I’m taking that as a yes” The black paladin began “and I’m choosing to answer what I’ve answered for the last million times you’ve asked: I don’t know” 

“He might…” Keith frowned in Shiro’s direction waiting for a response. “I think you should just…” He reached into the toolbox and pulled out his strategy-ridden Hello Kitty notebook, offering it to Keith.

“Write? I’m not some angsty 13-year-old Shiro” The boy answered as he turned his body in Shiro’s direction.

“Just take it Keith, it helped you before and it might help again” Silence followed his statement as the cogs inside Keith’s brain turned, the boy stood up abruptly, snatching the notebook from Shiro’s hand.

.-.

_Lance:  
Is it crazy to think that you may like boys too? You look like the sort of guy that likes boys, or maybe you’re just too friendly with everyone. Shiro says I should just ask you, but this isn’t the sort of thing you approach and ask, that’s not how love works, you need to think and study and plan. I know there is a 1% chance of you liking boys, and an even smaller possibility of you liking me back, but I just want to hold on to this while it lasts._

_Keith_  
.-.

Lance made Keith feel like the war they were fighting didn’t matter, like the fact that they were millions of miles away from home wasn’t even relevant. Keith had volunteered to help him with his research, together they invented everything that Lance’s facial regime demanded: face mask substitutes, moisturizer substitutes and million cucumber-under-the-eyes variations. Lance had never been this friendly to Keith, it was almost like they had met each other again for the first time. The physical wall between them had began to shatter as well, Keith never approached Lance, he wasn’t trying to make him realize he had a crush on him, however, boy if Lance approached Keith. It wasn’t anything meaningful, just subtle touches and oddly long hugs, the kinds of things you don’t do with your friends.

“So… You think we’ll be done with these soon?” Keith asked awkwardly as he looked around Lance’s makeshift lab/cosmetic factory.

“Yeah” Lance mumbled, lost in concentration as he regulated the temperature in their mix. 

.-.

_Lance:_

_I forgot how to talk to you, we’ve been friends for years and now that I actually need to speak, I find it impossible. We used to talk about mindless things that I didn’t care about, we hung out alone for God’s sake, I never hang out alone with people, and now we’re reduced to a single topic. Maybe it’s because every time I see you I try to blurt out words to try and impress you, or maybe you just weren’t that interested in me to begin with. In any case, I feel like the more that I try to get close to you, the more you distance yourself, I know I should stop trying, make yourself be missed and all that crap._

_Keith_  
.-.

“Keith! Check this out! The Dream Team found a way to make Pop Rocks!” Lance ran into Keith’s room, putting his arm around him as he sat next to him.

“The Dream Team?” Keith asked without looking up from the book he was reading.

“Matt, Hunk and Pidge! It was either that or the Science Squad, that’s just terrible” Lance fished out a small bag from his pocket, a small puddle of shiny crystals gathered at the bottom, he opened it and poured some on his mouth, the slight crackle made Keith abandon his book and look at him. 

Keith opened his mouth to object, but the swoosh of the door interrupted him, Pidge’s voice coming from the hallway. 

“Willy Wonka has arrived! You guys want strawberry or blackberry? I’ve got ‘em all” She wore Matt’s cape around her shoulders, the end of it pooling slightly under her feet. She sat on the floor in front of the boys, reaching out her arms to offer the candy. The three of them ate in silence, enjoying the fizzle coming from their mouths.

“So, Lance. How did it go with Rax?” Pidge asked nonchalantly.

“Well… Let’s just say you can add him to the list of people that couldn’t resist Lance McClain” The boy said with a smirk.

“No way! You kissed him?!” Pidge asked scandalized as she stood up.

“Sure did”

Keith’s brain cells ran a million miles per hour, he stood up, trying to remain calm and walked out without saying anything. He half-jogged away from his room, once he was far enough he yelled in an enthusiastic voice “SHIRO?”

.-.

_Lance:_

_I.AM.LOSING.MY.MIND. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? WHEN DID YOU BECOME ENTITLED TO MAKE ME FEEL FEELINGS? I´M FREAKING OUT. This shouldn’t change anything because there’s a huge possibility that you might not like me back. The fact that you like boys doesn’t mean that you like me, right? Even if Shiro says you might, because we don´t even know you that well, you could just be outgoing and touchy feely with everybody, because that’s who you are, why should this mean anything? Right? I know there´s something there, I’m sure. But maybe it’s not really what I want._

_Keith_  
.-.

“Hey Hunk?” Keith peeked inside the kitchen where Hunk was washing dishes. He walked to the other side of the sink to join him (the usual you wash, I dry).

“Is there…uh. Is there something wrong with Lance?” He asked carefully. “I think he’s avoiding me”

“Well… he’s been avoiding all of us” Hunk said in a stern voice, slightly deflated. “He finally decided to talk to Allura”

“Allura? About wha… Oh.” Keith stopped his drying and looked away dejectedly. “I hope things went well”

“You and me both buddy, you and me both” Hunk sighed. Neither of the boys said anything after that, the pair too focused on their dish work.

.-.

_“God fucking damnit Lance”_

.-.

“Do you think Allura and Lance… They don’t even make a good couple!” Keith paced in circles around Shiro’s room, the eldest sitting on the edge of the bed, following Keith with his gaze. 

“I thought… Shiro I thought, God I’m an idiot! And **now** I have this freaking book full of stupid letters! I can’t believe you made us go to the Earth store just to get a Hello Kitty notebook!” Keith half-yelled as he paced. Earning a sigh from Shiro.

“It’s the only one they… Listen, we’re not talking about this again. Just ask him Keith, you’re friends with him” 

“I… Yes, I am, but I… I thought he liked me! I can’t just ask those things! Jesus Shiro, I’m freaking out!” 

“Hey, hey” Shiro stood up, placing his hands on Keith’s shoulders. “You’re Keith, you can do this, breathe, relax, and ask” He listed with the fingers on his left hand.

“Yes, breathe, relax and ask” Keith repeated confidently. “I’m asking, I’m asking right now” he walked towards the door, leaving behind a muffled “Yeah!” coming from Shiro. He reran the words in his head on the way to Lance’s room to avoid having a breakdown again.

He knocked on the Latin’s door softly before announcing “Lance? It’s me”. The door swooshed open, Keith took that as an invitation to walk inside. He found Lance against the wall on his bed, hugging his knees with a sorrowful look on his eyes.

“I take it things didn’t go how you wanted” Keith mumbled, sitting dangerously close to Lance. He sighed and turned to Keith “She… she likes someone else. Can you believe that? We’re a million miles from home, and I keep failing, over and over.” 

“I’m sorry”

“I really liked her, I just… Wanted to make her happy Keith, is that so bad? I just…” Lance gesticulated with his hands, his knees still pressed to his chest.

Keith lifted his palm and walked across the hall, he stepped inside his room and grabbed Shiro’s notebook. He sighed and ripped all the pages where he wrote about Lance. Staring at them vacantly, he shook his head and let them fall to the floor. He returned to Lance, who wiped a tear from his cheek as soon as he saw him.

“I’m not that good with words, but… I wrote a lot when Shiro “died” you should do it too, it helps with… heartbreak.” Keith emphasized using air quotes, he tossed the notebook at the bed and stood in the middle of the room awkwardly. Lance chuckled sadly.

“Hello Kitty? Really?” He took the notebook and flipped through it.

“It was the only one they had” Keith shrugged before walking to the door “I’ll be across the hall if you need me” He said without looking back.

Keith went back in his room, locking the door behind him. He leaned against the wall, ignoring the lights all together, he let his body slide down to the floor. Sitting in the darkness, he reached for the discarded letters, turning the page that contained the last one before noticing it was blank, he decided to write Lance one last letter.

.-. 

_Lance:_

_I used to think that you made me feel like fireworks. They are big and loud and beautiful, that’s the way I used to feel about you. You made me feel like there was something glowing inside of me, everything felt so black and white, and then you came. It was scary and intimidating, just like fireworks, but I still chose to stay, you’re supposed to stay and appreciate the happy parts, even if you feel like one little spark could set off and light your insides on fire. It was unexpected and swift, and it ended as quick as it began. It was over as soon as I realized how beautiful it was, I didn’t have time to think about what would happen if things went wrong, I never stopped to consider the consequences of you not…  
I guess you didn’t find me that alluring after all._

**Author's Note:**

> I hoped you liked reading this as much as I liked writing it! Please let me know what you think:)
> 
> Find/Fight me on twitter at @angels_in_plaid


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